Hunter of the Vanguard to Dredgen of the Drifter
by BTechMonkey
Summary: After newly being resurrected by her Ghost, an Exo Hunter by the name Taya-4 begins her journey as a Guardian, but will soon discover the many threats the Guardians face, and the dark paths some choose to go down. She will have to make her own decisions on the type of Guardian she wants to be, and if she will go down Sorrows path.


Prologue

Risen. Wielders of the Light, and protectors of the last remnants of Humanity after the Collapse. Resurrected by spawn of the Traveller known as Ghosts, as a last attempt to defeat the Darkness. But not all those gifted with the Light saw it as a gift, some saw it as a curse, an attempt to stop a force of evil that couldn't be stopped, and others used their new powers for their own benefit, the Warlords for one, and terrorised those who survived the collapse. The title Guardian wouldn't be used until much later on, when the disciplines Hunter, Warlock and Titan were formed and the establishment of the Vanguard. From that point on, all risen by the Traveller - Awoken, Human or Exo - were called Guardians and adopted the discipline they were assigned, using the abilities of the Light to protect the last city and keep the enemies of Humanity at bay. One of these Guardians was an Exo Hunter named Taya-4, resurrected during the Late City age, just three months after Andal Brasks death and the hands of the Fallen mercenary Taniks, and the appointment of Cayde-6 as the Hunter Vanguard.

—

The Ghost effortlessly floated around the dark abandoned factory, their eye being the only light source, dancing on the derelict machinery and bloodied floor, expanding and scanning the occasional skeleton or Exo that littered the floor, or was pinned to the wall, their firearm never too far away. He kept floating and scanning for the next two hours, becoming increasingly frustrated none of the dead were his Guardian, this was the fourth year of looking in Russia alone, before this, he had been searching for what seemed like an eternity. His search led him all through the factory: past hurried, makeshift barricades, lifeless machinery of varying type and purpose and piles of dead humans and Exo - more than he cared to count.

He was ready to give up and move on to another one of the hundreds of buildings in the Cosmodrome when he picked up a faint signal, originating further down one of the pitch black corridors. Overcome by curiosity he followed the signal, down the corridor and through a small, old rusted hatch which gave way to a singular room, with just enough room for three people to couch in - a panic room, designed as shelter in case of an emergency or disaster. And disaster was a term that could not describe what had happened inside the factory. Inside the Ghost found three bodies, but none were Human. In the centre at the back the outline of a female Exo could just be made out, slumped against the wall, head down, hands outstretched and a clear cavity in the centre of her chest. After shining his light on the silhouette an old, slightly rusted handgun could be seen in her right hand. Behind the Ghost two more bodies lay, but these were no Human, or Exo. Both possessed four arms, and four eyes, their rotted figure could be recognised anywhere by anyone who had only merely glimpsed at them, Fallen. The only difference was the state of their bodies, the one on the left was missing half on their top left arm, and a deep cut ran into the left side of its face, the knife responsible still lodged between two of its eyes. The body on the right had fared no better, five distinct bullet holes littered its chest and the neck and been clearly snapped. After assessing the scene the Ghost came to conclusion the Exo had tried to hide in this room, but the two Fallen had pursued her, and after shooting the first one on the right and breaking their neck, she had tried to stab the second one on the left, but the Fallen plunged one of their arc blades into her chest, causing the deep cavity. In her final moments she brought the knife down through the Fallen's arm and dug the knife into its head, before falling back and dying where she lay.

This was his Guardian, the one he had been searching for and almost gave up hope on locating.


End file.
